How to Look Healthy: 12 Easy Things to Start Doing Today

Have you resolved to look healthier in 2019?

You aren’t alone. The majority of New Year resolutions concern physical health in some capacity.

The good news is that the secret to looking healthier doesn’t require cosmetic surgery.

The key to looking healthy lies with your ability to cultivate wellness–both inside and out.

In this post, we discuss twelve simple tips for how to look healthy in this new year. Read on for insight!

Table of Contents

1. Prioritize Healthy Sleep

Getting sufficient sleep is one of the most important things you can do for your physical and mental health.

We need sleep in order to process and retain information, including memory and cognitive function.

We also require sleep in order to restore and rejuvenate all of our systems. Sleep can also help our bodies conduct necessary repairs on tissues and cells, develop muscle fibers, and even moderate hormone levels.

Lack of sleep has been linked to multiple health conditions, many of this terminal. Sleep deprivation can cause diabetes, heart attacks, early strokes, and even obesity.

On a fundamental level, sleep can alter the way that we look. Sleep deprivation can significantly change your appearance, sometimes even “aging” a person overnight.

Unfortunately, Americans aren’t doing so well when it comes to getting enough sleep. Studies indicate that 1 in 3 American adults aren’t getting sufficient sleep, putting these individuals at risk of all of the above conditions.

What does sufficient, healthy sleep look like? Scientists recommend that adult humans get at least seven hours of consistent sleep each night for maximum health.

The word “consistent” is also important. If your sleep cycles are interrupted throughout those seven hours, the positive effects of your Zzzz’s may be null and void.

Prioritize healthy sleep to maintain high energy levels throughout the day and to give your body the time it needs to restore itself. Consistent sleep can clear away those wrinkles and give you that “glow” that you crave.

2. Drink Sufficient Water

As humans, we need water on a daily basis.

Sufficient water intake can keep us from getting dehydrated.

It can also boost energy levels, improve brain function, and aid in weight loss goals! Sufficient water intake can aid in digestion processes, lowering your risk of constipation and bloat.

Water has also been linked to vital, healthy-looking skin. If you’re keen to look healthier, be sure you are drinking enough H2O.

Unfortunately, American adults are also struggling with staying hydrated. As adults, our sense of thirst isn’t as sharp or pressing as it was when we were children.

For this reason, we forget to drink as much water as our bodies require.

In general, it’s important to consume at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water a day. This equates to 1/2 of a gallon of water.

Substances that contain a lot of additives (in addition to water) don’t necessarily count in this regard. The same goes for caffeinated beverages, some of which act as diuretics.

3. Exercise According to Your Needs

What does it mean to look healthy? To some individuals, “looking healthy” equates to looking fit, in shape, or lean.

However, working towards that lean and trim body can be daunting. If you aren’t keen to start up a Crossfit membership, keep in mind that you can maintain a moderate exercise routine and still look healthy and happy.

Exercise according to your needs.

The Department of Health and Human Services recommends that U.S. adults get at least 150 minutes (the equivalent of 2.5 hours) of aerobic exercise each week.

This doesn’t have to mean hitting it hard at the gym every Tuesday and Thursday morning. It could mean doing a simple bodyweight routine in your living room three times a week.

Or it could mean doing any other fitness that you enjoy, including dance classes, swimming, mountain biking, and skiing.

Whatever you choose to do, opt for exercise that leaves you feeling energized and happy. Moderate is often better than intense.

Studies show that moderate exercises are likely to be more beneficial, anyways!

4. Visit Your Physician

When was the last time that you visited your physician?

For many Americans, it may be hard to answer this question. That’s understandable. After all, what’s the point of dropping by a doctor’s office if you have no pressing ailment?

However, visiting your physician once a year can ensure that you are living your healthiest life.

Some conditions may not have any noticeable symptoms until diagnosis. Physicians can also advise you on exercise and diet programs tailored to your needs.

Book an appointment with your primary care doctor now if you haven’t done so already.

5. Eliminate Processed Ingredients

Diet plays a huge role in how we feel and look. If you’ve resolved to eat healthier in 2019, begin by minimizing or eliminating key processed ingredients from your diet.

Processed ingredients are food items that have undergone additional processing prior to placement on grocery store shelves.

Not all processed foods are bad. Cheese, for example, is food that (at least in America) undergoes pasteurization prior to sale. The same goes for fortified milk and even canned tuna.

However, plenty of synthetic additives in packaged foods can be harmful to health. Some examples include MSG, artificial sweeteners, high fructose corn syrup, and synthetic food colorings.

These can put individuals at risk for all kinds of illnesses. They can also easily transform into fat stored in the body. A diet high in processed foods can also be taxing on the body, leaving you floundering in blood sugar lulls.

Always read the ingredients label to any packaged food item. Aim to consume food items that have little to no additives. If there are additives, they should be natural, organic, or non-synthetic.

6. Consume More Plant-Based Nutrition

A plant-based diet can lower your risk of heart disease and trim your waistline.

It can also offer you vast reserves of natural energy. This is due to a plant-based diet’s high concentration of vitamins, minerals, and nutrients your body needs to feel its best every day.

Consume more plant-based nutrition to feel and look healthier. This may mean eating a vegetarian meal at least three times a week.

Or it could mean becoming 100% vegan or vegetarian.

Whatever the case, fill your grocery cart with vegetables, legumes, nuts, and fruits before you reach for grains, red meats, or sugars.

7. Try CBD

CBD, a hemp plant extract, is taking the health world by storm. This is for good reason–CBD can aid in anxiety and depression management, chronic pain, and even weight loss.

It can even promote healthy sleep, a key component of looking and feeling healthy.

Try out some CBD supplements as part of your health and wellness routine. Learn more about selecting the right CBD manufacturer here.

8. Practice Meditation

Meditation has been around for eons, but it is only now starting to surface in health and wellness circles.

Studies are increasingly showing that meditation is more than just practice to still the mind. Regular meditation can lower blood pressure, manage stress, and even alleviate depression.

Stress and anxiety are always visible in our body, even if we do our best to hide the effects of these. They can also compromise longevity and heighten our risk for illness down the road.

Practice meditation to bring more ease and natural energy into your daily life.

9. Wear the Right Clothes

Clothes aren’t everything when it comes to optimum health. They don’t determine beauty, either. But when it comes to looking healthy, they can help with your own natural display of confidence.

Wear clothes designed to show off (rather than to hide) what makes you proud about your body. Choose garments that are naturally flattering and comfortable.

10. Care for Your Hair

Your hair is a significant component of your physical appearance. To look healthier, make sure you are caring for your hair at all times.

Proper hair care often goes beyond the bounds of standard shampoo and conditioner.

If you have been experiencing hair loss, there are therapies that can help. Read more now.

11. Nourish Your Skin

Our skin plays a vital role in our daily well-being. It’s easy to forget this in the midst of busy schedules and colder seasons.

Yet unhealthy skin can be fending off that glow that signifies a healthy, nourished body.

Nourish your skin on the daily. Drink sufficient water, first and foremost. Consume adequate amounts of Vitamin C and Vitamin E, both of which are known to promote skin health.

Protect your skin from the harmful rays of the sun, even in wintertime. Be sure to use makeup that contains SPF and to apply sunscreen whenever your skin encounters sun exposure.

Invest in the right skincare products, ideally those that work with your dermatology (not against it). Learn more here.

12. Smile More

The fastest and easiest way to look healthy is to smile more frequently. Show off your radiant teeth, and do so often!

Smiling can help combat negative emotions at the moment. It is also automatically attractive.

Challenge those daily frowns with a smile. Others will notice.